Spice and Wolf: A Merchant's Tale
by Detinc
Summary: It has been fifteen years since the adventure of Kraft Lawrence and Holo, and another adventure is about to start. A young headstrong girl gets captured by bandits. A mysterious boy rescued her, but not before trauma leaves her with partial amnesia. The two set off to solve her memory loss, and the secrets behind the boy himself.
1. Chapter 1

Spice and Wolf: A Merchant's Tale

By Detinc

8/21/2013

Chapter One

* * *

_My father once told me that the outside world contains many different people, but the ones who are worth your life are few, and sometimes arrive in the most awkward of fashions. He and Mother have told me tales of their travels when he was just a roaming peddler with nothing but a cart and a draft horse. "It was a very lonely lifestyle. I remember when I was looking for a horse; the stable masters tried persuading me to buy a female mare. They say that the horse would transform into a woman to keep you company! But a female is not the best for a hard lifestyle."_

_Although they are rich and could live a comfortable lifestyle, they still travel like they did fifteen years ago, leaving me alone at the villa. The villa was my father's greatest accomplishment as a merchant. Situated in the north, between forests my mother fondly calls "Yoitsu" and a hot spring establishment called Nyohhira. The villa gets its income from travelers wanting to rest, and the export of a very durable wheat grain. How any wheat grain survives up here eludes me, although I suspect my mother, who goes into the fields often. Some of our tenants who stay for a while comment on the fields. They proclaim that they never had quite seen anything like it, and ask my father for the secret. He turns them away, and asks them what they have done in his favor to earn such a secret._

_Every time we get visitors, my parents and I wear hooded cloaks. I never really understood why, but it seems people are afraid of the unknown, or don't trust what they were told was bad. My mother told me this, and stated it was another reason why I can't set off on the road yet. I wanted to show them that they were wrong, and when my parents went off on another one of their trips, I packed my bags and started down the road._

_Unfortunately, my parents were right._

* * *

A young girl lied on the hard ground of the bandit campsite, her hands and feet were bound with a bag pulled over her head. Underneath the bag, her hood still covered her head, allowing only a few silver tresses to be free from the black fabric. She could not see anything, but she knew that she has been captured by bandits. That alone nearly caused her to panic. The word "bandit" brought thoughts of pillaging, killing, and worse of all; raping. She was a bit naïve, but neither was she completely ignorant. She just hoped that these bandits won't violate her, or figure out what she truly was. Even now, her ears could clearly pick up the whispers of drunken words and perverse thoughts. Some were even about her, suggesting that they bring her along for their "needs", or sell her off as a slave. She again clung to the little hope that someone would rescue her, or she would wake up and remember this as a horrible nightmare.

It became apparent that it was only wishful thinking, and she began to struggle in panic. Her body thrashed about, and she started to hyperventilate. This drew attention to her, and the thumping of boots approached her. She felt a hand yank off the bag hiding her head, and the sudden increase of light caused her blue eyes to wince.

"Can yah breath now lil' girly?!" the bandit who freed her had scars across his face, and his grin was revolting. She did not need any clue as to what the bandit thought of doing to her.

"Well we been saying about what we do with you, and for now you'll be our entertainment!" he cackled, before reaching down with a grimy hand. The girl wished she didn't have a nose; the bandit smelled of horrible quality alcohol and bodily fluids. It was enough to turn her stomach and make her want to vomit. The bandit gripped her hood.

"Let's see what pretty face we have 'ere!"

His eyebrows shot up his brow when the girl's hood was thrown off her head. He stood there in disbelief, before an evil smile began to spread across his face.

"We got ourselves some dog hybrid bitch to break!" he announced, immediately followed by the scrambling of feet. Soon, she was surrounded by more bandits, who gave each other disgusting grins at the sickening thoughts going through their heads. She whimpered and kicked away from them, trying to put as much distance between them as she could tied up. The bandits reached down to grab her. The girl's eyes were wide, the pupils dilated with fear, she knew that she can't escape them, and that made the realization of her situation mentally traumatizing.

Her young mind began to shut down and she went into a semi-conscious state. Had she endured a bit longer, she would have heard the rapid approach of a black-cloaked boy.

* * *

The clopping of hoofs accompanied the creaking of wood as a horse drawn wagon made its way down the dirt road. A young boy sat upon the coach's box, holding the reins with both hands as he kept his focus on the road ahead. A single pothole would give him enough trouble for a migraine. With a sigh, he snapped the reins, forcing his horse to pick up the pace a little. The next town was still quite a ways away, and the boy had merchandise that may spoil soon.

He peeked under the tarp cover of his cart. Five barrels were secured inside with rope; the last thing he needed to happen was for one of the barrels to smash open. He paid a pretty gold coin to obtain these barrels of fruits pickled in honey. This was a favorite food for many people, the nobles especially. Pickled fruits could only last so long though, and the previous seller said that these were on their last months.

A merchant's life is not without betting against time, and all merchants understood this through a simple saying; "Time is money."

The boy looked up at the sky; the sun was going down, and the clouds making whimsical shapes to play with its setting light. But his momentary distraction will cost him one of the things he values most.

With a loud crunch, the front right wheel of his wagon splintered. A pothole escaped his detection and the wheel hit it hard.

"Ah damn it all!" He cursed as he pulled the horse to a stop. He checked his cargo to make sure nothing was damaged before hopping off the wagon. The boy hissed his annoyance at the untimely mishap, and assessed the casualty. His wheel could still support the cart's weight, but continuing onwards is out of the question. He muttered another cuss word before looking out at the forest by the road. If he could acquire a sturdy enough object to set his cart on, he may be able to replace the wheel. But right now, he would be better off making camp.

He unhitched his horse and tied him to a tree by the road. He grabbed a bucket from the wagon bed and set off to find water. His eyes closed as he focused on picking out the sounds of running water. What he got was not the gurgle of water, but the scent of the wind. It carried smoke, and smoke means fire. He opened his eyes and saw a trail of smoke high over the forest canopy.

He sprinted in; something compelled him to hurry, to make haste towards the smoke. The setting sun did not offer him much light, but he soon caught the fragments of voices, and he soon burst into a clearing. The sight sickened him. Ragged men surrounded a small form, and the possibilities flitted through his mind as to what it could be. He continued his sprint, determined to stop the men he identified as bandits. He grabbed the shirt of one and with strength hidden in his young body, he tossed the man. He crashed into a tree trunk with a wet crack, caving the vile man's head in. The other bandits stood there for a second before charging him. One threw a straight punch at him while the rest drew worn daggers and rusted swords. The boy deflected the punch and grabbed his opponent's forearm. With a shout, he transferred momentum from the punch into a spin that threw the bandit back into his comrades, one accidently impaling him with a sword. The last few bandits got up and charged the boy, aiming to impale him on their blades.

Before they could spear him with their blades the boy slashed his arm across, not making any contact with the bandits. They stopped immediately and began clutching their throats. Crimson dyed their hands as they collapsed to the ground and lay still. The boy ran over to the young girl that lied motionless on the ground and checked for any wounds. Seeing none, the boy checked if she was breathing, and exhaled a breath he forgot that he was holding when she exhaled as well. Taking a knife from the hands of a deceased bandit, he cut the ropes binding her. Laying her on her back with her arms and legs straight, he sat back. She appeared to be sleeping, but he couldn't tell. He leaned forward and shook her shoulder. When she didn't stir, he looked around the bandit's camp. There was not much around, just some sacks of what-the-hell-is-this and a large shoulder strap bag. He could easily tell that the latter was the girl's. With a grunt, he hoisted the bag's strap around his neck and crouched to pick the girl up bridal style. He turned to exit the forest and return to his own camp.

His camp was undisturbed and his cargo was still in the wagon when he returned. Taking his bedroll from a compartment under the driver's seat, he unraveled it and set the girl down on it. He put her bag by the cart and began to really examine his charge. She was a little shorter than him, had silver hair, and had wolf ears set on top of her head. His eyes ran down her form, and he guessed that she was his age, although she was a bit curvy for fifteen. The cloak she wore would easily hide her form, and the fact that she had wolf ears intrigued him as well. Most would recoil at the sight her ears and kill her right there and then. The boy thought such people were cowards, killing because the dominating religion unjustly accuses certain people as pagans and demons. He decided that he shall learn what happened tomorrow morning, and continue from there.

* * *

Author's note: I dislike having to put _Twin Halves_ on hold, but it is not calling out to me. But I am not abandoning it! If I do, I would be a hypocrite, and hate the person I have become. And then _Spice and Wolf _pulled my ear and gave me an idea that could not wait. This fan fiction takes most of its elements from the light novel series, while the anime was lacking in some respect. _Kadokawa_ productions have completely skipped over the fourth novel, only doing the first, second, third, and fifth novels. And then they stopped. That is a little under one-fourth of the whole light novel series, which (if I remember correctly) spans about 17 books in total! The light novels are being translated to English by a company called _Yen Press_, but I believe they are only up to the tenth or eleventh novel.

I think that the _Spice and Wolf_ fan fiction library is seriously lacking. It is such a good series, and it makes no sense that it should not even have at least 300 stories. I don't mean one-shots or drabbles; I mean fully fledged 1000 words per chapter chronicles! That is why I am working on this series too. And I hope you guys work on these series as well!

-Hez


	2. Chapter 2

Spice and Wolf: A Merchant's Tale

By Detinc

8/22-26/2013

Chapter Two

* * *

The boy watched the night sky, not once showing an ounce of fatigue as he watched the moon race above him and the stars mark the constellations. Not once did he slip into sleep, not even when the midnight black of the night changed into the bursting oranges and reds of the morning. He sat up from his spot in the grass, leaving an imprint on the crushed greens. It was at this point he heard the wolf-eared girl stir on the bedroll. He lied on his back and swung his legs down, flipping him into a standing position. As he approached the waking girl, she sat up and looked around with a half-awake expression. When she looked at him, her eyes shot open and she immediately stood up into a half crouch. The approaching boy received a growl and bared fangs, an obvious warning, although harmless to him. Because the hood was down, he could see her flattened ears, and behind her a tucked-in tail. Her body language told him everything about her mind set; scared, and will fight with everything to escape. He reached into a pocket of his long cloak and pulled something out.

The silver-haired girl opened her mouth to give another vocal warning, but the boy shoved a strip of jerky, which he pulled from his pocket earlier, into her mouth.

"Shut up," he ordered, before ruffling her hair and picking up the bedroll. His blue eyes showed no trace of caution. His jet black hair was unkempt and stuck up here and there. He walked back to the wagon, rolled up the bedroll, and shoved it into a compartment inside. The girl simply stood there with the jerky hanging out of her mouth until she snapped out of her stupor. Immediately she snapped the jerky up and fixed her hair, at which she noticed that her hood was down.

In a panic she began to back away, although for what reason she was unsure. It just seemed a bad thing to have her ears and tail showing to anyone. She twisted around and started to sprint, but before she even reached a few yards she was caught by the boy. He wrapped one arm around her waist with her arms pinned, and his other hand reached up to rub her ears. She began to push against him, but slowly succumbed to the ear massage with a blush on her face.

"Have you calmed down?"

She nodded. He released her and turned her around. Her eyes were downcast, and her head was tilted away from him. He began to ask the first question.

"What is your name?"

"Um…" she sheepishly looked down mumbling words with the blush still in place. Why can't she remember? A memory came back to her.

_ Kr…st…y_

"I… I think it's… Krysty…" she mumbled, still averting eye-contact with the boy. Her head was still swimming in honey and molasses, and her memories were smeared like wet ink across parchment.

"I see, judging by your stuttering, I guess you don't remember much?" At the sharp glare that he received, he nodded.

"Okay then."

He turned away and walked back to his wagon, beckoning her to follow with a hand. Krysty stood there for a second, questioning the logic of following the boy. All that she could remember was a faint memory of an auburn haired woman and a silver haired man calling out "Krysty". Beyond that, she could not recall how she wound up waking in the boy's camp, much less where she was going.

"What's wrong?"

"Ah!" Krysty yelped, caught off guard by the boy's question. He raised a quizzical eyebrow before turning back around. A splintered wheel lay nearby as he fitted a new wheel onto an empty axis. Krysty had no idea where he got the new wheel, but she ignored it. She didn't know his name.

"Um, you never told me your name…"

"You never asked."

Something about his response put her off, maybe the lack of usual etiquette. Someone gives their name, the other returns their own. Krysty huffed at the boy.

"Okay then, what is your name?"

"Detinc," he replied as he yanked a boulder keeping the wagon up from underneath. The wagon creaked as it leveled out on the road. With what seemed like no effort, he tossed the boulder a ways away.

Krysty watched the boulder land on the ground with a thump, and then looked back at Detinc. He glanced at her, before picking up a large travel bag and handing it to her.

"This must be yours. Maybe you should look through it while we're on the road."

"O-okay," she nodded before shouldering the bag. Detinc lifted himself up into the driver's bench before offering his hand to her. She grabbed him, and he lifted her up to the wagon without struggling. He took the reins of his horse and snapped them. The horse began to pull the wagon back down the road, towards the next city.

* * *

The blizzard roared and stormed around the large auburn wolf and her cloaked passenger as she sprinted north. The worry and fear swirling around inside her bypassed her exhaustion, pushing her onward through the white expanse. The figure on top of her gripped her back with his legs and an arm. The other arm was clinging to a bundle slung over his shoulder.

Neither one spoke until they broke free of the snow storm and the villa was ahead of them. But this only made the wolf pick up the pace. To someone looking at them from above, it may look like a wet brush dragging across white canvas. The large wolf stopped outside the villa walls, circling the structure with her nose to the ground. The cloaked rider leapt off her back and threw off his hood. Silver ears twitched atop them, and a nose sniffed the air alongside his wolf mount. Icy silver eyes scanned the field of white before them, before looking back at the wolf.

The auburn wolf began to shrink. Beautiful sable fur retracted into fair skin, and her limbs reformed into human appendages. The silver haired man was soon beholding the nude form of a lithe young lady. The lady swished her tail in the air as she shivered against the cold.

"Have I not informed you of my dislike towards the cold in this form?"

"Yes you have, although where you have hatred for it, I find it attractive," he replied as his eyes wandered her form. She gave him a smile that revealed a fang.

"Flattering me won't warm me Kraft, and so I will distance myself from you when we sleep. Or do you prefer falling ill?"

The hidden implication behind her comment made the man gulp before quickly handing her a change of clothes from the bag. She dressed herself quickly and shrugged on a thick wool coat from the Winfield Kingdom. The wool quickly did its job, warming the girl and protecting her from the frigid air.

"Where do you think she had gone?"

"Her scent is traveling south east, but she got a head start on us. We may never catch up if we continue in this form."

"I'll transform this time Holo," Kraft volunteered as he began to strip. He dug through the bag and pulled out a small pouch. He took out a few red berries and popped them into his mouth. In a second, the transformation rolled up his body, and a large silver wolf stood in the place of Kraft Lawrence. No matter how many times she has seen it, Holo has always been attracted by her husband's form. Kraft crouched down to allow his wife onto his back. After Holo shifted the bag over her shoulder, she gripped his fur and tapped her shoes against his flanks.

_"South-east, right?"_

"Yes."

The large wolf lunged forward, sprinting away from the couple's villa after their daughter.

* * *

Detinc's wagon rattled as it traveled down the road. He relaxed his grip on the reins as the dirt beneath him became cobble. Ahead of him huge stone walls rose from the ground, massive despite their distance from the wagon. Gerube has grown since the incident he heard about the narwhale fifteen years ago. It nearly split the city into two different towns, when it was already split into "North" and "South". But now it was a large city, with walls wrapping around it. Of course, they were still spit between the two opposite cardinal directions, but it has developed better.

A weight pressed on his lap, and Detinc saw Krysty was asleep on his leg. Earlier she was shifting through her bag, trying to fill the missing holes in her memory. All she found were a change of clothes, some white bread, two large skins filled with fine wine and water, a sturdy wooden cube, and her last name embroidered on a strap with silver thread. Detinc was skeptic about several things from her bag. White bread and fine wine were expensive, only nobles and people with such wealth could afford to buy them in bulk. The wooden cube caught his interest. It had smooth edges, and when he knocked on it, it sounded hollow. But no matter how hard he looked, there were no seams as to how to open it.

Krysty's apparent last name was his biggest conundrum at the moment. It rang through his mind, sounding familiar, but he could not figure out where he recognized it.

_Lawrence… Krysty Lawrence…_

His hand began stroking the sleeping girl's ear, and he heard the lazy movement of Krysty's tail through the air. She buried deeper into his lap, sighing contently. His lips twitched into a small smile, but it was barely noticeable.

Before long, the walls of Gerube were directly ahead, and Detinc could make out the entrance with the guards. He nudged Krysty awake, who sat up slowly and looked around with a half-asleep expression. Another wagon was making its way out the gate, and it wouldn't be long before they see Krysty without her hood.

Detinc pushed her up, and flipped her hood on without warning. He then faced forward again, seeing that the other cart driver was waving a passing greeting. He waved back as they passed one another. The gate into the city was directly ahead now.

He pulled the reins; bring the wagon to a stop in front of the guards. Krysty watched nervously as the guards approached. One of them, having a sword strapped to his side, motioned for the two to dismount the wagon. Another guard frisked Detinc first for contraband and weapons that are not permitted into the city. The guard stepped back.

"It is unusual for a merchant to wander around with no weapon."

"Never found the need to spend money; I have my own ways of defense."

The guard shrugged before approaching Krysty, who started to shiver. Detinc narrowed his eyes at her before stopping the guard.

"What is wrong Krysty?" he inquired, seeing the fear laced into her eyes. As he got closer, she darted behind his back, and gripped him tightly, and she shivered again.

"…Bandits…" She whispered, and Detinc immediately understood. While her deceased captors did not have the chance to do anything to her, they still traumatized her. It seemed that her trauma had caused her memory to get scrambled, and she just remembered what happened right before Detinc saved her. This is what caused her sudden fear.

Detinc turned to the guard with the sword. The guard had a look of pity, as if he knew what already happened. Detinc mouthed "almost" to him, and the guard nodded.

"…Let them pass."

The other guards did not hesitate to return to their positions by the gate and Detinc lifted Krysty up in a bridal fashion. He leapt up into the wagon and gripped the reins, keeping his charge in his arms. With a snap, the horse pulled forward into the north district of Gerube. What the guards did not notice was how his eyes' irises were gold instead of blue.

* * *

Kraft and Holo traced Krysty's scent through a forest, where they also smelt the stench of body odor and cheap alcohol. Kraft had reverted into his human form, and he stood dumbly alongside Holo at the sight of the slaughtered bandits.

"Did Krysty do this..?"

Holo inhaled through her nose, catching a scent underneath the blood and stink of bandits. She exhaled and shook her head.

"No, Krysty did not do this, someone else did… and it seems that they headed towards the road."

Kraft sighed in relief; it seems someone has rescued their daughter. They followed the new scent to the road outside the forest. From there, it headed south. Kraft's ears perked up when he realized where the scent led to.

"They're heading towards Gerube! We may be able to catch up to Krysty!" He exclaimed, his excitement making his silver tail beneath his cloak wave happily. He stopped though when a foreboding shiver ran up his spine. He turned around to face his wife.

"…Holo?"

Holo's eyes had a spark that made Kraft worry, and it didn't help that she had a sadistic smile on her face.

"The girl's a fool to ignore her mother, The Wise Wolf of Yoitsu!"

* * *

Author's note: I finally earned my laptop back! My step mom took it away because I slacked off on practicing my essay writing. Trust me; my essay skills sucked. But I have it back!

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, as I worked on it for about 1,485 minutes (according to Microsoft Word). This chapter is also around 2,300 words, including this author's note.

If anyone wants to, you may send me ideas for the story when you review. I would make a special thanks section to those who contribute their ideas to the story. I would not accept any original characters, but I would appreciate it if you could share some ideas to help me make some profit schemes that involve the main characters.

Oh yeah, I may have forgotten about this in the previous chapter, but I don't own _Spice and Wolf_, Isuna Hasekura does. Although I am ticked off at how Kadokawa Productions only animated light novels 1, 2, 3, 5, and some stories from "Side colors". They even skipped light novel 4, which had crucial bonding time between Kraft Lawrence and Holo!

…It felt good to let that out. Anyways, I have a request for those who are reading; help fill the _Spice and Wolf_ fan fiction archive! Write one-shots, drabbles, alternate universes, self-insertions, OC-insertions, crossovers, anything! This archive is poorly neglected for such an awesome series! That is my request for you readers, although it sounds more like a challenge.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Spice and Wolf: A Merchant's Tale

8/26/2013

By Detinc

Chapter Three

* * *

Detinc walked into the room he rented and ran it over with a golden eye. The light from the setting sun flowed through an open window. The bed was kept neat, there was a fire place with wood nearby, and it had a view of the market. All in all, it was not bad, except…

"Oops, I forgot to ask for a room with two beds!"

_'What do you mean oops!'_ a voice inside his head shouted, _'Why did you get a single bed room?!'_

Detinc winced at the shout in his head.

"Force of habit! Sorry!"

_'Dammit, wait till he notices! Ah shit…'_

_ 'What's this? I wake up from a nap and we have a hotty in our arms in a single bed inn room? And it is the same one we found in the forest? Hot damn!'_

Detinc flinched when a bit of pain ran through his mind.

_'Ow... That hurt dammit!'_

_ 'Down boy!'_

"Please don't fight! I would rather keep the young lady in our arms asleep!" Detinc whispered. The turmoil of thoughts running through his mind stopped. He sighed in relief, and then set Krysty on the bed. He turned to the fire.

_'Lemme do this!'_

"No, I can do it."

_'Actually, let him do it; remember last time you tried to start a fire?'_

Detinc sighed, allowing a demonic presence in his mind to take over. His eyes morphed into slits and the irises bled red. Two wolf ears flipped up from his unruly hair and a black tail shot out from underneath his long-coat.

"Ah, that felt good!" he said as he stretched. Detinc then turned towards the sleeping form on the bed. A mental punch brought his attention back to the pile of wood.

_'Get the fire started you damn horndog!'_

"Fine, fine, you guys never let me have any fun…"

He lifted up his hand and focused. A ball of fire soon popped into existence and hovered over his hand. He tossed a few logs into the fireplace and tossed the ball of fire on top of it. The wood immediately caught flame and produced a warm glow. A familiar presence began to pull him back and he allowed it. His ears and tail disappeared. His eyes washed away the red with blue and rounded out his pupils.

Detinc pulled a chair in front of the fire and took off his coat, hanging it on the back. He then sat down and watched the fire dance. Soon he was recollecting his whole life.

* * *

His existence was an unusual happening. He had no parents to give birth to him as far as he knew, and after wandering the streets of Ruvenheigen for a few days after he became aware of himself, he was adopted by Jacob of the Rowen Merchant Guild. Jacob was like a father to him, teaching him all about the different currencies, bartering techniques, and the most common signs of a swindler.

One day, Jacob tested Detinc on his survival skills by making him camp on the hilly plains outside the city. He must make camp, sleep through the night, break camp, and return the next day.

It was night time when Detinc was attacked by a lone bandit. As the sword swung down for the kill, two presences inside him became _aware_. Detinc returned the next morning, earning praise from Jacob, who was ignorant of the boy's situation the previous night.

When Detinc was ten, he was allowed to set out and make a life on the road. And here he was now.

* * *

Kraft and Holo approached the gates of Gerube as the sun set, both walking in their human forms covered by their cloaks. The guards approached the two, but Kraft pulled a medallion from his pocket, and they let them pass. But Holo stopped and turned towards the guard.

"Has a young girl and a boy been through here?"

"A couple hours ago we received a pair, both seemed about fifteen. The girl freaked when we were about to search her, so we let them pass."

Holo restrained a growl at the thought of what caused her daughter to panic.

"Which way did they go?"

"Down the street on the left."

Holo nodded her thanks and walked away, Kraft following her lead. Using their noses, they were soon in front of an inn.

"She is here."

Kraft nodded, and they both entered the inn. They were greeted by an empty bar and a curtsy from the barmaid and innkeeper.

"Would you like a room?"

"Yes, and has two young travelers rented a room here?" Kraft asked.

"That would be one trenni and yes; their room is the third one down."

Kraft tossed her another trenni coin, and then headed up the stairs with Holo. At the third door, they heard the slow breathing of sleep. Kraft slowly opened the door and walked in. When they saw their daughter sleeping on the bed, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"I knew it…"

The voice made them jump at the boy's voice. They cursed inwardly at letting their guard down, and spun towards the young figure standing up from a chair by the fireplace.

"When I saw her last name on the bag, something rang a bell…"

Kraft pushed Holo behind him in case the boy was going to attack.

"Jacob told me of the 'Northward Bound Traveling Merchant', the one to stray off his usual trade route to help a young woman reach the north…"

Kraft reached for his dagger as the boy approached him, ready to draw.

"I am not going to harm you; Kraft Lawrence. And neither should you have to wear your cloaks, I already know your secret."

"What secret?" Kraft lied, playing ignorant to the best of his merchant abilities. The boy twitched an eyebrow, then dashed at the experienced merchant and yanked both Kraft's and Holo's hoods off.

"Don't try lying, it really insults my intelligence. And if you were really concerned about shouting 'demon,' why haven't I turned Krysty in to the Church?"

He had a point.

"Besides, if the Church should worry about anything, it should be me," The boy's eyes bled red, and ears and a tail grew. Both Kraft and Holo stood shocked as they watched him change.

"A-are you..?"

The boy gave a dark chuckle.

"No, our host is not," the boy replied, "I am the demon residing inside him, coexisting with an angel and his own spirit."

Holo's and Kraft's face showed their confusion. Detinc sighed, and all of his demonic features retracted. His eyes turned gold, eight pairs of wings sprouted from his back, and an otherworldly glow outlined his figure.

"Basically, this body houses three souls. Whichever soul takes control affects how we look, and what abilities we have."

"Abilities?" Kraft inquired.

"The demonic soul has predominance over offensive magic; I, the angelic soul, have predominance over defensive and healing magic; Detinc, the original soul, has materialization abilities. He can form just about any object for a short time, or he can make his unarmed attacks as deadly as a sword. Because we reside in him, his reflexes, dexterity, speed, and strength had to increase to house us," the angelic soul explained.

Detinc pulled two other chairs in front of the fireplace. The Lawrence couple took that cue to take a seat and contemplate the situation.

"One thing I forgot to mention; Krysty has suffered some memory loss from traumatic stress. She is most likely unable to recall who you two are." He glanced at their worried faces.

"What are you going to do now, Kraft Lawrence?"

Kraft looked at Detinc straight in the eye, and a smile twitched on his lips.

* * *

Krysty woke up to the sound of the early morning church bell echoing across the river. She sat up from the bed and stretched out her arms. She smacked her lips and surveyed the room; there were a few cinders from a fire in the fireplace, and three people sat in two chairs. She recognized the black-haired youth from yesterday, but the other two… rang a bell, but she couldn't place where she saw them. Both of them had the same wolf ears and tails like she did. The young lady was looked like a teenager, about nineteen. She had auburn hair, and her form was petite. The man looked about twenty-five and had silver hair. She noted that her own hair was the exact same shade as the man's.

"Glad to see that you're up," greeted Detinc.

"Who are these people?"

"So she really doesn't remember…" the auburn haired woman murmured, her ears dropping as her apple eyes opened halfway. Krysty looked at the woman with a quirked eyebrow.

"Krysty," Detinc called for her attention. The older man stood up with the woman and they both looked at her.

"They are Kraft and Holo…" he paused, "Lawrence."

Krysty whipped her head back towards her "parents."

"After Kraft and I do some business, I'm going to stay at their villa in the north for a while, alternatively known as 'your home,'" he explained.

"Home?"

* * *

Detinc sat on the driver's seat of the wagon with Kraft as they headed to a trading firm on the delta between North and South Gerube. The delta was mainly a huge market, but there were about two or three trading firms Detinc and Kraft knew.

"Kraft-"

"Detinc, when we're doing business, please call me Lawrence."

"Lawrence, do you have any idea why Krysty ran off from your villa?" Detinc inquired. Kraft looked at him through the corner of his eyes.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I want to know what caused her to nearly get raped."

Lawrence seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, then nodded.

"I guess you earned the right to know after saving her from an abominable fate. Holo knows more about it than I do, but if you want my opinion, she just wanted to see the outside world."

"That makes sense."

"By the way, what do you go by for business?" Kraft asked. He winced when he earned a sharp glare from Detinc. But then the boy calmed a bit.

"Sorry, it is a sensitive topic."

"How so? Why is your last name a sensitive subject?"

"Well… for one, I don't remember having one," he replied, stealing a look at Kraft's face under the older merchant's hood. The man seemed a bit confused.

"I don't understand…"

"And you won't until I feel more comfortable sharing my truths with you."

Kraft's eyebrow twitched upward in an annoyed fashion. Detinc gave him another scowl.

"While you and Holo have a warm presence; that has only earned some trust from me. But I am sure that you'll see opportunities while I stay in the villa with you; you are a merchant," Detinc seemed deep in thought for a moment. A mischievous grin spread across his face slowly, and Kraft reminded of Holo's own sly smiles.

"Say, Lawrence?"

"Y-yes?" he stuttered.

"On the way to your villa, mind if we spar every night?"

Kraft looked at him incredulously. Was he serious?

"I'll answer any questions later," he looked at Kraft's face before chuckling, "Don't worry; we won't be using real weapons."

Kraft sighed in relief. Although he would like to test the boy, he did not want to hack each other apart. He nodded his consent.

"Great! Now to sell those honey-pickled fruits…"

* * *

While Detinc and the man named "Kraft" were out, Krysty was examining her "mother". The only resemblance between the two was the shape of their face and their height. Krysty had curves that were overdeveloped for a fifteen year old, Holo was petit. But what really made her curious was how Holo could be her mother; she couldn't be that much older than her!

"How could you be my mother? You're much too—Guh!" she never finished before Holo flicked her nose with some force. She began to scrunch up her nose as it numbed, it hurt! Placing her hands on her waist, Holo gave a stern look to her daughter.

"I am centuries older than you, my foolish daughter! Never judge a book…" she began, but stopped as Krysty suddenly dropped to the floor, clutching her head and breathing heavily. She kneeled at her side in worry, and after a while, Krysty's pain seemed to go away. They both stood up, and Krysty shocked Holo:

"…By its cover…" Holo grasped Krysty by the shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.

"Do you remember anything?"

"Just… a fragment, of someone saying that…" Holo sighed in disappointment, and then an idea popped into her head.

"Let's go to the market on the delta! I am sure Kraft and Detinc won't mind if we do, and your father gave me some money to spend…"

Krysty nodded her head and flipped her hood up, followed by Holo. The two then locked the door and headed down the stairs.

"If anyone asks, tell them Krysty and Holo Lawrence have headed to the market on the delta," she mentioned to the innkeeper. The man nodded and the two girls walked out.

The market was always busy, and had many different kinds of merchandise to purchase. Holo had no desire to buy any jewelry or clothes, mainly food. Krysty however was interested in a small sword.

"For what reason do you want to purchase a sword? You have your father and Detinc to protect you!" Holo lectured the girl, but Krysty must have inherited some stubbornness.

"I don't want to always rely on father and Detinc when we're in trouble! And besides, what makes you think Detinc is going to stay?" she replied. Holo saw that she was independent, and it made her smile; at least her personality is more like her mother's! But she knew that her daughter had a point; what made her think Detinc was going to stay? As she handed her daughter the money to buy the short sword, the wheels in her mind began to kick into overdrive.

* * *

Author's note: Looks like Holo is going to be doin' some scheming! Or is it plotting? Meh.

I am sorry this chapter is a bit late. I am trying to keep each one at a minimum of 2,000 words, and sometimes it can be hard to get inspiration. I will not submit to a case of writer's block! I refuse to! I kept typing and erasing sections here and there, just to ward off the temptation of making that excuse.

You guys can help you know! Send me ideas, profit schemes and money conflicts! Help me out with incorporating the Church, info on characters from the light novel series… Hell you might as well give me a list of trading firms, currencies, cities, everything. It really helps, as I am sometimes too lazy to go back and review the novels of search it up on the interwebz. However, I won't accept any OCs, unless you give me a scheme that needs that specific character. And even then, I may tweak the scheme and/or the OC to fit my needs.

However, I will not claim ownership of anyone who sends me in such things. I will list off the person who gave me the idea, and what their original idea was in a section here in the author's note.

Here is a section for those who reviewed, but have done so under a guest alias:

Anon: _would Kraft not be his Surname and Laurence his first? I know it__translated from another language but it doesn't make sense the other way._

Well Anon, _Spice and Wolf_ is a Japanese light novel, and in Japan, your family name is said first, your own personal name comes second. Formality is important in Japan, being informal is rude, unless you are very familiar with whom you are addressing. So technically, Lawrence's first name _is_ Kraft, and his last name, or family name, is Lawrence. In Japanese, he would be "Lawrence Kraft", in English; he would be "Kraft Lawrence". I am just trying to stay with the medieval Europe setting that _Spice and Wolf_ takes place in. That is why the personal and family names are that way.

School is starting next week, on the fourth of September. I aim to get one more chapter out before then, but otherwise I will have less time to write. The good news is that I can use school to come up with ideas and inspiration from the interactions between people around me. Bear with me for my junior year of High School! I will keep posting new chapters!

Read and Review! I don't own _Spice and Wolf_!


	4. Chapter 4

Spice and Wolf: A Merchant's Tale

9/5/2013

By Detinc

Chapter Four

* * *

Detinc pulled his cart to a stop in front of the Gerube branch of the Rowen Trading Guild. He looked at Kraft with a raised eyebrow, before facing the building again with a sigh.

"Do we really have to deal with the proud hard tack biscuit? I would rather sell my goods elsewhere."

"Yes we do, and I have been pushing something back for far too long," He said quizzically. Detinc just shook his head before snapping the reins. The cart lurched forward into a large gated archway leading into the trading bay.

Stopping the wagon at a blocked-in area, they hopped off and left the horse in the care of a horse groom. Detinc scanned the crowded bay area for a certain individual, but stopped when Kraft tapped his shoulder and pointed over by the entrance into the main building from the bay area. An older blonde man about Kraft's apparent age lectured a young teen boy and girl.

"—and that is why you need to control your facial expressions and body language better Thurn, or else the other side will take advantage of you."

"Y-yes, Master!"

The boy nodded nervously, with his female companion shaking her head in disappointment at his nervous response. Detinc blinked in surprise; when did he take an apprentice?

"Oi! Mister Keeman!" Detinc called, catching the blonde man's attention. Mister Keeman gave a small smile as he saw Detinc approach.

"It has been awhile boy; did you get overwhelmed by the life of a merchant already?" He said teasingly.

"We have to talk Keeman."

The blonde manager looked at Detinc first, and then the cloaked Kraft beside him. He waved them over as he opened the door.

"Let's go to my office then."

"Thanks for seeing us Mr. Keeman."

"I hope this is good; I was going to find some lunch. Now what business do you have with me?" he inquired while taking a drink from a water skin. Although one would prefer wine, it is not smart to manage a branch of a guild drunk.

"Not really me, but my friend, Mr. Lawrence here," Detinc said, biting his lip to stifle a laugh. At the mention of Lawrence, Keeman began choking on the water with wide eyes. After a minute or two of coughing and pounding his chest, he made eye-contact with Kraft, his eyes still huge.

"L-Lawrence!?" he reached out to throw off the hood covering Kraft's face, but his hand was caught by Detinc. The boy looked at Keeman dead in the eye.

"Before you throw off that hood, know that he is under the protection of an angel."

A pair of pure white wings then sprung out from Detinc's back, stuffing whatever Keeman was about to say back down his throat. He blinked once, then gulped as he threw off Kraft's hood. He was rendered speechless once again. He looked at the wolf's ears perched on top, the icy silver eyes and the silver tail hanging down behind Kraft. He gulped.

"He doesn't bite."

"It's not that, I am more worried about the Church! No matter who you are, they would accuse Mr. Lawrence of being a demon, and likely you too. It won't matter if you're an angel, they may accuse you of being a demon as well. Such is the paranoia and ignorance of those religious fools!"

"I agree with you Mr. Keeman; there have been several times when my wife and I had to evade trouble from the Church before we settled down up north."

"You have a shop up north? I never knew…"

"That's surprising; we were popular with much of the higher class because of the quality of our hot springs…"

"Hot springs? You live in Nyohhira now?"

"Not anymore. We still own the inn we built, but a while back we built a villa. People began settling around us and we erected a wall."

"You're the owner?! I heard about the villa a while back, including the wheat that was somehow grown there despite the cold…" Keeman sagged his shoulders.

"You are no longer the merchant I looked down on many years ago. You're practically a noble!"

"Except he actually is noble!" said a new voice.

Two black cloaked figures stood in the door frame, two pairs of eyes, one ruby red and another blue peeked from the hoods. They entered the office and closed the door before revealing themselves. Holo walked up to her husband before giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Krysty stood by Detinc's side.

"Indeed, he is much more true to the definition than most."

"But he can be a bit clueless; it took my fangs on his neck before he finally proposed!" Holo recounted the memory with a laugh, leaving Kraft a bit mollified. When the group was done recounting what happened over the years, they discussed selling Detinc's cargo.

It was evening before they returned to the inn. Holo plopped onto the bed with a moan and Krysty sat on the mattress. The men took up chairs by the fire.

"Had I known you were carrying barrels of honey-pickled fruit I would have had Kraft buy them off of you!"

Detinc just shrugged at Holo's complaint from his chair by the fireplace. Holo's eyes bore into him for a while before she sat up. The auburn haired woman then stood behind her husband and whispered some words into his ear. Kraft nodded and Holo motioned for Detinc before leaving the room. The black-haired boy raised his eyebrows as he got up and followed after her. She led him to the stables and gave him a stern look.

Detinc became apprehensive under her gaze. It was the look a mother would give to someone who fancied their daughter. Is she going to question him about Krysty?

"What do you think of Krysty?"

Called it. Pay up bitches.

"I know why you're asking Holo, but answering right now is impossible. I have only known her for about two days, and I see a lost girl right now that needs help."

Holo stared at him some more, before asking another question.

"Does she arouse you?"

Detinc is a hard man to catch off guard, but Holo's questioned did more than that. It sent his train of thought careening into a wall. He gulped.

"Well, her body is quite over-developed for someone around my age, so I guess that she is attractive…"

"You guess?" she questioned with a threatening tone. Detinc decided to just screw the roundabout answer.

"Yes, she is arousing. But I have my principles that I stand by."

Holo stared at him a while longer, then smiled.

"Well then, Kraft and I will give you our blessings!"

Detinc just stood there for a second, processing what he just heard. Did they really just give him permission to marry Krysty? He needed some answers and to clear some things up.

"While I thank you for that, I have not decided on whether or not I find a spouse in Krysty. And another thing; we're sixteen, a little shy of an acceptable marriage age, usually around nineteen. What are you planning Holo?"

"I plan on making my daughter happy."

"And how is this making her happy?"

"Because she is attracted to you as well. Anyways, it is getting late, and I grow weary. 'Night!" with that she walked back towards the inn, leaving Detinc out there alone in the night.

* * *

The next morning marked the group's trek north towards the villa. They waved to the guards posted at the gate facing the northern exit of town as they passed through. The horizon ahead had huge mountains which tore into the clouds like wolf's teeth into wooly sheep. Detinc was driving the wagon, while Krysty and her parents were in the back sitting with the spices and provisions that the fifteen year-old merchant bought before leaving.

Detinc was a bit unnerved by the deafening silence in the back of his cart. Krysty was not talking to either one of her parents, probably from the shame that she can't remember almost anything about her life before her rescue from the bandits. He could somewhat understand how awkward it would be to make such a conversation.

_"So… What was I like before memory loss?" Yeah, probably better to not say anything._

Detinc exhaled a sigh; this was going to be a new experience for every single one of them. At least it won't be the strangest he'd ever know of, just new. He slouched a bit, and closed his eyes half-way as he focused on the road condition. Hitting another rut in the road is the last thing he wants, and having to stop to replace any parts would likely force them to spend an extra cold night that they could avoid.

Soon the sun hung low in the west, painting the sky a myriad of warm colors. Detinc inferred that he had a couple of hours before they should stop and make camp. He watched the sun dip down into the horizon for a moment before looking for a suitable stop point.

The four members of the group huddled around a blazing fire created by a magic fire ball from Demonic Detinc, hoping to ward off the chilling cold from the night. Detinc's demonic features receded as he turned towards Kraft.

"You know, we should start our sparring before the night becomes too old. We'll wear each other out enough to get a good rest."

"Indeed."

The two males stood up in unison and casually walked a ways away from the fire. Holo was stroking her sleeping daughter's head as she watched them begin. Kraft had a standard sword in his right hand with a dagger sheathed against his backside. Detinc just stood there in his midnight cloak with his hand outstretched, as if waiting to grasp something.

Holo wondered what Detinc was waiting for, with similar thoughts in Kraft's mind as well. Much to her surprise, she saw tiny motes of light coalesce in Detinc's hand. They began to gain a definite shape, representing a pure white sword, before gaining a steel color.

"…Ikuzo," Detinc calmly stated before quickly lunging forward. Kraft had barely enough time to bring his sword to bear and deflect the stab. He then swung his sword towards Detinc as the teen followed his attack past him, but was blocked by another sword he summoned. The boy then swiped with his stabbing arm and shoved Kraft back. With amazing dexterity he dual-wielded the swords, forcing the silver-haired man on the defense for the remainder of the duel. Soon Kraft was sweating hard and on his knees panting, while Detinc stood there looking the least fatigued.

"I can't remember the last time I was this tired," Kraft commented between pants. Detinc stayed silent, before turning around and heading towards some woods nearby.

"…Don't follow me."

"What?"

Detinc didn't answer. He continued towards the woods and disappeared within them. Kraft watched the boy even when he was no longer visible, wondering what made him so distant suddenly.

* * *

Detinc stood in the forest as a full moon above him lit the area around him. Standing across to him was another boy. He had blonde hair, red eyes, a white winter coat, blue pants, and a pair of casual brown shoes.

"How goes it?"

"You found me for a reason Gess, get on with it."

"Always quick and to the point huh?

"Only because you have expressed the need for me to do so."

"Hah! Indeed," Gess chuckled, but then adopted a serious game face.

"Your time is running out, and others still need you. I know you have found who you need!"

Detinc remained indifferent to Gess's reminder. The blonde man growled at the black haired youth.

"If you want to die so badly, why not go to this world's church? Surely they will love to do the favor in "God's" name?"

Detinc's hands began to twitch and gather light.

"So that's it huh? Fine by me! Die at my hand!"

Gess pulled out a huge broadsword from a slit in the air by him and held it in both hands. Detinc twirled two swords in his hands and took a wide stance. Gess charged and swung his blade down.

"I hope you find what you're expecting in Hell you bastard!"

Detinc's blades began to glow with power as he raised one blade to block the attack.

An earth shattering explosion of pure power lit up the area around the forest and was faintly heard around the world.

* * *

Author's Note: I am so sorry about my tardiness! I know I had said I was going to get this up almost three or two weeks ago and I didn't get it uploaded! I have four classes I have to attend, and one is an AP (Advanced Placement) class that takes up about four hours, while the last three are IB (International Bachelor) classes. They are harder than normal high school courses, and I have had trouble increasing my pace to make enough time to write fan fiction and study for the SAT tests I am going to take this November!

Sorry again. But now on towards the info for the next chapter!

The next chapter is going to reveal some confusing secrets; they won't however discourage you from reading! If you have played the _Kingdom Hearts_ franchise, then you would probably know what I am about to do. Yep! Interesting loose ends that don't get resolved and tied together until later installments!


	5. Chapter 5

Spice and Wolf: A Merchant's Tale

9/27/2013

By Detinc

Chapter Five

With an explosion of power that shook the world, Detinc's blades and Gess's oversized broadsword pushed against each other in a contest of will. The wind around them whipped and howled at them, running wild at the rampant energy the two unleashed. Detinc then tilted his swords and allowed Gess to slide past him, taking the chance to launch a swipe as he passed. Gess saw the attack and ducked before the sword could behead him. They twirled around to face each other and began circling one another.

A twitch started another exchange.

Detinc went in for a lunge and was sidestepped by Gess, who retaliated with a swing from his sword. Detinc blocked the swipe with his left sword and slashed at Gess with the sword in his right. Gess jumped back to avoid the cut and then leapt into the air with an overhead strike. Detinc sidestepped the overhead slash that embed Gess's sword into the ground. Taking the opening Gess provided while trying to tug his sword out, Detinc slashed his arm before dodging a fire ball thrown by Gess. Detinc leapt back several yards.

"If we're going to use spells, why not do it somewhere more open?"

"The fields outside? Sure, why the hell not!"

They ran through the trees; jumping off limbs and exchanging sword blows. Soon they landed in a field, with no sign of civilization in sight for miles around. Detinc and Gess glared at each other, the latter bleeding from a cut on his right shoulder. Crimson trailed down his arm, and Detinc could smell the coppery life force. Soon the two combatants began to glow: Red and blue for Detinc; gold and white for Gess.

The area around them began to go berserk. Magma pools began boiling up from the ground. Pillars of light and dark spiked from the ground. Clouds gathered overhead and spawned lighting that struck around them. A blizzard roared and raged as it encircled them.

No one was going to hold back.

Detinc sprouted ten pairs of snow-white wings, a black wolf's tail and ears, fangs, a halo, claws, and his eyes changed color, one dark red, and the other bright gold. Gess grew scales, a large pair of dragon wings, horns, talons, a scaled tail, and fangs. His eyes became reptilian slits and bled yellow.

With the two god-like beings in their ultimate form, they began.

_"Chaos is our stage"_

_"For this story's page"_

_ "We call for the elements to obey our orders"_

_ "And disrupt reality's borders!"_

And thus they began, charging each other with speed that no eye can follow. Various spells were cast at one another as they clashed with swords.

"Yah!"

Gess swiped one of his arms up at Detinc, launching a wave of lava that bubbled up in front of him. Detinc countered with a torrent of water, turning the lava into smooth black stone that he jumped on and slid down towards his nemesis. His swords coat themselves in fire and ice as he began swiping at Gess, who coated his large blade in lighting before blocking.

Spells are not casted by mere words or motions. Spells are casted by focusing the intent of the caster. The only limit to magic is the user's imagination. Magic doesn't fatigue you either. Magic is magic, a continuous form of energy that never depletes or stops flowing. But if used carelessly…

Detinc and Gess stood across from each other, bleeding profusely and panting heavily. A small thin line glowed underneath Detinc's skin before bursting, adding a new cut to the collection he had. Gess had a few lines burst as well, adding new cuts to him as well.

While magic has little consequence towards use, you must absorb it before using it, and just throwing around spells can leave leftovers in one's body. If kept inside to long, it can physically harm the host's body.

Both Detinc's and Gess's wounds were from this "magic poisoning". Barely had they landed a hit on each other, spell or blade. Funny how the tie breaker would be leftover magic inside their body, unless they both faint at the same time.

Unbeknowest to the two fighters, they had an audience. Krysty and her parents heard the explosion of power from the initial fight. By the time they located the source at a field, they were almost literally blown away. Detinc with a mix of wolf and angel features was facing off against a draconic blonde man.

Explosions and waves of elements were tossed left and right as attacks or counters inside a whirling stage of elemental chaos.

Soon the stage of chaos disappeared, and they saw Detinc and the blonde man return to their previous forms. But then they saw sparks burst from the two fighters' skin, and they began to bleed. Detinc began kneeling on the ground, and a void of energy sparked behind the blonde fighter. Detinc collapsed in a pool of blood; the blonde man fell backwards into the light behind him and disappeared.

Krysty ran over to Detinc's side as soon as the coast was clear. He was covered in small cuts and burns, and an occasional blue glow would appear here and there. There were no more sparks like the ones she saw earlier, but the boy lying unconscious in front of her told that he was not in a good condition. Her parents caught up to her, holding some rags and water. Krysty got out of Kraft and Holo's way as they began cleaning and binding Detinc's wounds.

Krysty had so many questions that she had no answers to, one of which bothered her the most:

Was Detinc who he said he was?

Detinc walked through the swallowing darkness as it enwrapped him and caressed him. Behind him were two look-alikes of him, one with wolfish qualities, and the other with wings of an angel. They were bickering over whose fault it was that Detinc fell unconscious from magic poisoning with a heavy tome open on a table between them.

"You said that you can regulate the flow in him! Well what does this latest encounter say, huh?!"

"I couldn't regulate the flow because I was out of practice! You keep taking up the job every time, so I have barely any experience on this! And you need to calm down Crayse, Detinc is not dead."

"Calm down!? You want me to calm down when our host's body is almost destroyed!? Screw you Nass!"

"I would rather not…"

"Ohoho… think you're so damn clever huh? Well then Mister Must-Keep-My-V-Card, how about I find a—"

"Would you two quit your bitching!?"

Nass and Crayse went silent and cowered as Detinc towered over them, spiking fear inside them. Detinc could easily make their life hell since this was his body, worse than anything either spirits may have ever experienced. He sighed and walked over to the tome on the table. He ran his eyes down the pages written in an archaic language, and gave an annoyed growl.

"You were looking in the wrong section too! This talks about the magic flow and tapping into it, not about storing and releasing it!"

The Angel Nass and the Demon Crayse looked away sheepishly. Detinc shook his head and began flitting through the tome's pages before landing on the introductory chapter of the magic casting section. He then tapped his finger on a page with diagrams of magic circulation in the body and a few paragraphs of text.

"Here it is; page 1178 says… _Magic circulates through the body like blood, but at a slower pace. All magic absorbed into the body must be completely depleted with the next spell, and casters must avoid absorbing a large amount of magic to use in consecutive spells unless precautions have been placed…_ Blah blah blah… _Leftover magic in the body left unused will cause physical harm and sickness. This is Magicka Toxicosis, or more commonly known as "Magic Poisoning". Magic is searching for an outlet to return back to the external flow of magic, and will run rampant before bursting free from the body. The best way to treat Magic Poisoning is by expelling the magic yourself through spells without tapping into the main flow of magic._ Well now, I guess it is time for me to wake up. Would have found out earlier if you two would have stopped arguing."

"Sorry," the two spirits apologized as Detinc pinched himself.

He woke up to a night sky, which meant he slept a whole day, or it is still the night of the battle. A weight rested on his chest, and he lifted his head. A silver haired Krysty was using his chest as a pillow, snoring softly. He rested a hand on one of her ears and stroked it, coaxing a contented growl from the wolf girl.

Krysty was in a wonderful dream.

It was a beautiful winter morning. The sun was peaking over the horizon, lighting up clouds that sprinkled the land with a bit of snow fluff. The morning light set the snowflakes and clouds aflame, like perfectly cut gemstones and diamond dust. She snuggled deeper into the source of warmth she lied on, which then seemed to have grown hands that stroke her ears.

If this was heaven, then she would look forward to it at the end of her life.

But like all good dreams: You wake up.

Her eyes blinked open, and she realized that she was laying on Detinc, who was stroking her ear. She quickly scrambled off of the boy with a blush.

"Wah! Sorry for falling asleep on you… Are you okay?"

Detinc nodded, then kicked his legs outwards, flipping him onto his feet. He stretched out his arms, and yawned. He took a step and winced, which alarmed Krysty.

"Maybe you shouldn't move to soon, you're covered in wounds!"

"I am fine, and for that matter, I actually need to get up before any magic inside me decides to make me explode."

He then held his hand out with the palm faced up. A spark lit above his hand and a flame burst into existence. It was glowing a comforting sky blue, lighting up the area around them.

"I should be fine in about twenty minutes. There is not as much leftover magic in me anymore…"

"Um… Magic?"

"Yeah, Magic; alakazam hocus-pocus and all that."

"Um…"

"Nobody you need to worry about and nothing you need to know," he growled at her to stop any more questions. It failed, miserably. If anything, it made her even more curious.

"But… you're hiding something…"

"Indeed I am, I never realized that God would strike me with lighting for doing such a horrendous act," he said with a dose of sarcasm. Krysty puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

"What if that boy you were fighting comes for us? I believe my parents and I have a right to know when something threatens our lives!"

"And what if it doesn't? I can guarantee you that man won't ever direct his attention towards you; he is much too focused on me."

"How do you know that?!"

"Because he would have targeted one of you three instead of fight me head on! Now shut up and let me calm down before I accidently lose control of my magic!"

To Detinc's relief, a silence fell over them, allowing him to continue feeding magic leftovers to the flame sustained in his palm. Soon the flame dwindled and sputtered out, casting the two in darkness.

"Hey Detinc?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you teach me magic?"

"…No."

Krysty pouted, "Why not?"

"Because you don't learn magic from a teacher; you learn magic from magic."

"That makes no sense; why can't someone teach another magic?"

"Because magic chooses who can wield it, and it has no criteria for who it picks."

"It's sentient?"

"Very much so, but magic has more than one name."

"What are its other names then?"

"Too many to list, but I can give you one that most people would burn you like a witch for:" He paused and looked into Krysty's bright eyes.

"God."

Author's Note: Yeah, I have been trying to make it up for you wonderful readers by uploading more chapters, but I hope I didn't decrease the quality of it then by rushing. I have been keeping every chapter at a minimum of two thousand words, but I feel like I am lacking the skills that some of my favorite authors have in their stories.

I hope I did well on the fight scene in the beginning of this chapter, despite it being shorter than I would have liked. It looks like Detinc is keeping close secrets though! I wonder what they are?

Oh well, onto the next chapter!

_**Ikuze!**_


End file.
